Missing plane draws eyes to land of molten lava and killer sharks

General view of the beach where a large piece of plane debris was found on Wednesday in Saint-Andre, on the French Indian Ocean island of La Reunion, July 30, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

Shark attacks

Reunion's tourist board and residents hope the island's unexpected role in the MH370 mystery will have a positive impact on visitor numbers, as images of the dramatic volcano, sandy beaches and crystal blue waters are aired around the world.

Reunion, roughly half the size of Indonesia's tourist island of Bali, attracts a fraction of the millions of tourists who flock to other Indian Ocean islands, like Mauritius and the Maldives.

"The island is so beautiful and mysterious. It's like Hawaii," said Fadila Hammachi, 55, a French businesswoman who comes to Reunion on holiday every year.

"I hope more people come but not too many. I like it for myself," she adds, pointing towards the lush, mountainous interior where sugar cane, ginger and pineapples are grown.

Reunion's reputation suffered in 2005 during an epidemic of Chikungunya, a virus that causes a heavy fever. More recently the swarms of bull and tiger sharks lurking in the island's waters have been doing their best to scare people away.

The tropical island was once considered a surfer's paradise, but 18 shark attacks in four years, seven of them fatal, have deterred most top surfers from riding its waves.

Since 2013 the local government has banned swimming outside monitored areas, but even this has not halted attacks.

After a 13-year-old boy was killed while surfing by a 2.5 meter (8 foot) long bull shark in April, hundreds of islanders protested in an effort to get the government to provide more protection.

With the MH370 investigation now on mainland France, Reunion's part in discovering the secrets behind the plane's disappearance is coming to a close. Residents hope the island's brief spell in the spotlight will leave an enduring legacy.

"I hope our little island will be better known now and people will come to visit," Johny Begue, the beach cleaner who found the wing flap, told Reuters.

"I hope we are remembered for helping to bring peace to the families of the people who disappeared on that plane."